cream cheese peppermint patties

traditions are traditions — and round these parts, this time of the year means this momma makes her home-made peppermint patties. when we went gluten-free/wheat-free years ago I gave up the literal weekends of baking dozens upon dozens of carefully crafted and decorated cookies that were my holiday mainstay.

these days, the thought of spending a whole afternoon making complicated cookies and engaging a little one to stay with me the whole time isn’t where I want to spend my energy. catching a greased pig at a county fair would be easier, truth be told. simplifying and managing the place and space we’re in as a family is far easier, needed and truly wanted.

so, we make peppermint patties because, well, we love peppermint patties in this family and there is simply nothing better than ones you make yourself. the recipe we use is in our family is loosely adapted from the “creamy peppermint patties recipe” found at the taste of home website.

the best part? this is something the little one loves to join me doing — from “flat down the middles” to helping dip in the melted chocolate — this is an easy way for us to keep up our family traditions. plus, they’re just darn tasty!

happy holidays from our home to yours!

cream cheese peppermint patties
:: 1 8oz bar of cream cheese
:: 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
:: 1 bag of powdered sugar (32 oz)
:: 1 cup dark chocolate chips
:: 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
:: 3 Tablespoons shortening
beat cream cheese and peppermint extract until smooth (I use our KitchenAid stand-mixer for this recipe for ease).
gradually add in the powdered sugar -- one 32oz bag equals around 7 1/2 cups (you may need to add more until you achieve a stiff dough)
scoop and roll into one-inch balls and flatten onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper and let cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour
melt chocolate chips and shortening (microwave is easiest) and dip each peppermint center into the chocolate, letting any excess drip off.
return to wax-paper lined cookie sheet and back in the refrigerator they go, until set.
this recipe makes easily four-dozen patties, depending on your preference for thin/thick centers.
we tend to gift many of these every year with a small note to store in the frig ... if they last that long!